Cleaning appliance including a tellscopic wand assembly retaining means

ABSTRACT

A cleaning appliance of the cylinder type includes a main body and a hose and wand assembly including a telescopic wand movable between retracted and extended positions and a flexible hose having a first end connected to the main body and a second end connected to the wand. The wand and the main body include a retainer for releasable attaching the wand to the main body when the wand is in the retracted state and the hose passes around the main body. Alternatively, the wand and the main body include a retainer for releasably attaching the wand to an upper surface of the main body when the wand is in the retracted state. This construction provides a compact storage solution.

This invention relates to a cleaning appliance, such as a vacuumcleaner.

Cleaning appliances such as vacuum cleaners are well known. The majorityof vacuum cleaners are either of the ‘upright’ type or of the ‘cylinder’type. An example of a cylinder vacuum cleaner manufactured by DysonLimited under the name DC05 (“DC05” is a trade mark of Dyson Limited) isshown in FIG. 1.

Cylinder vacuum cleaners (called “canister” or “barrel” cleaners in somecountries) generally comprise a main body 10 which contains separatingapparatus 11 for separating dirt and dust from an incoming dirty airflowand for collecting the separated material. The separating apparatus isusually a filter bag or a cyclonic separator. The dirty airflow isintroduced to the main body 10 via a hose and wand assembly 15, 16 whichis connected to the main body 10. The main body 10 of the cleaner isdragged along by the hose 15 as a user moves around a room. A cleaningtool 20 is attached to the remote end of the wand 16. The wand 16usually comprises a set of two, or sometimes more, telescopic tubeswhich can be adjusted to a length which is matched to the physicalrequirements of a user between a fully extended position and a fullyretracted position.

It is known to provide a socket 18 on the main body of the vacuumcleaner and a hook 17 on the wand so that a user can ‘park’ the wand inthe socket 18. When the wand is parked, it is positioned substantiallyvertically so that it can be readily grasped by a user. In this manner,a user does not need to bend down to retrieve the wand from the floor. Auser may also choose to park the wand in this manner when the vacuumcleaner is stored. The wand can be parked in its fully retractedposition for storage. Although this feature is useful, the vacuumcleaner and wand are still quite cumbersome to carry from one place toanother and the cleaner is not particularly easy to store in places oflimited space.

The present invention seeks to provide a cleaning appliance machinewhich is more convenient to store and/or to carry.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a cleaningappliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body and a hose andwand assembly, the hose and wand assembly comprising a telescopic wandmovable between retracted and extended positions and a flexible hosehaving a first end connected to the main body and a second end connectedto the wand, wherein the wand and the main body incorporate retainingmeans for releasably attaching the wand to the main body when the wandis in the retracted state and the hose passes around the main body.

This allows the machine to be more easily stored since the wand isneatly and securely stored on the main body of the machine whilst thehose is wrapped around the main body.

Preferably, the main body comprises a cyclonic separator having acollecting bin for collecting dirt and debris and the wand is releasablyattachable to the collecting bin.

A second aspect of the invention provides a cleaning appliance of thecylinder type comprising a main body and a hose and wand assembly, thehose and wand assembly comprising a telescopic wand movable betweenretracted and extended positions and a flexible hose having a first endconnected to the main body and a second end connected to the wand,wherein the wand and the main body incorporate retaining means forreleasably attaching the wand to an upper surface of the main body whenthe wand is in the retracted state.

Preferably the main body comprises a channel for receiving the wand andretaining means are located in the channel. Where the main bodycomprises two generally cylindrical containers lying next to oneanother, the channel for receiving the wand can comprise the spacebetween the cylindrical containers. More preferably, the channel has asufficient depth to allow the wand to lie substantially flush with theupper surface of the main body when the wand is received in the channel.

Preferably the wand has a handle by means of which a user may lift themain body when the wand is attached thereto. More preferably, the saidhandle may also be used by user to manipulate the hose and wand assemblyduring normal use. It is convenient for the handle to extend in adirection which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe wand so as to provide a plurality of longitudinally offset positionsfor lifting the main body and for manipulating the wand.

It is preferred that the wand may be attached to the main body when themain body is oriented for normal use. More preferably, the main body haswheels or rollers arranged so as to allow the main body to move across asurface to be cleaned and the said wheels or rollers remain in contactwith the surface when the wand is attached to the main body.

Preferably a release member for releasing the wand from the main body isalso arranged to operate a locking means which locks the wand in thefully retracted position for storage. This avoids the need for a user tooperate two separate controls.

Although the invention is described in detail with reference to a vacuumcleaner, it will be appreciated that it can also be applied to otherforms of cleaning appliance. The term “cleaning appliance” is intendedto have a broad meaning, and includes a wide range of machines having amain body and a wand for carrying fluid to or from a floor surface. Itincludes, inter alia, machines which only apply suction to the surface,such as vacuum cleaners (dry, wet and wet/dry variants), so as to drawmaterial from the surface, as well as machines which apply material tothe surface, such as polishing/waxing machines, pressure washingmachines and shampooing machines.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to thedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a conventional vacuum cleaner of the cylinder type;

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to theinvention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B respectively show a side view and a rear view of thevacuum cleaner of FIG. 2 with the hose omitted for clarity;

FIG. 4 shows the wand of the vacuum cleaner of FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B in anextended position;

FIG. 5 shows the wand of FIG. 4 in a retracted position for storage;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section through the wand while stored on the vacuumcleaner of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the catch on the wand;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of the vacuum cleaner showing thestorage of the hose;

FIGS. 9 to 11 show alternative forms of the handle of the wand;

FIG. 12 shows an alternative form of the main body of the vacuumcleaner; and

FIGS. 13A to 13D respectively show perspective, side, front, and rearviews of a second embodiment of the invention in a storage position.

FIG. 2 shows a cleaning appliance in the form of a vacuum cleaner. Thevacuum cleaner has a main body 100 which supports the main components ofthe vacuum cleaner. In a traditional manner, the main body 100 has achassis 110 which supports separating and collecting apparatus 120 and amotor-driven fan (not shown) for generating a suction which can drawdirt laden air into the separating apparatus 120. The main body 100 alsohas two main wheels 112, one on each side of the rear portion of thechassis 110, and a castor wheel 113 beneath the front portion of thechassis 110 which allow the main body 100 to be dragged along a surface.It will be understood that the wheels 112, 113 could be supplemented, orreplaced, by other means for allowing the main body 100 to be draggedacross a surface, such as skids. The form of the separating apparatus120 is not important to the invention. While we prefer to use cyclonicseparators which spin dirt, dust and debris from the airflow, otherforms of separator can be used and examples of suitable separatortechnology include a centrifugal separator, a filter bag, a porouscontainer, an electrostatic separator or a liquid-based separator.

In FIG. 2, the separating apparatus comprises two generally cylindricalchambers 121, 122 which lie alongside one another. The chambers 121, 122are connected to one another by a central spine 123. The separatingapparatus 120 is removably mounted on the chassis for emptying and foraccess to components beneath the separating apparatus.

A flexible hose 150 and a wand assembly 160 connect to an inlet port 151on the main body 100. The main body 100 of the cleaner is pulled alongby the hose 150 as a user moves around a room. The hose 150 has aconstruction which is robust enough to withstand this pulling action,and any normal abrasion which may be encountered as the hose rubsagainst obstacles in a room.

In this embodiment, the air inlet port 151 is centrally mounted on themain body 100 at the forward, lower part of the machine. In alternativeembodiments of the machine where the air inlet is not centrallypositioned, such as the machine shown in FIG. 1 where the inlet is nearthe upper part of the separating apparatus 11, it is preferable toanchor the hose 150 to the machine at a central position (as with anchorpoint 25 in the machine shown in FIG. 1) so that when a user pulls thehose 150, the main body 100 follows the user.

Ducting on the chassis 110 connects the air inlet port 151 to an inletto the separating apparatus 120. For a cyclonic separating apparatus120, the inlet to the separating apparatus is arranged to guide incomingairflow through the wall of the chamber of the cyclonic separator in atangential manner.

The second end of the hose 150 connects to the wand 160. A suitable wandassembly 160 is described in our co-pending International PatentApplication WO 02/071913. As shown in FIG. 4, the wand comprises a setof three tubes 161, 162, 163 of progressively decreasing diameter. Thetubes 161, 162, 163 can telescope inside one another and are retractablyhoused inside a storage tube 165. The three tubes 161, 162, 163 areslideable inside one another and can be moved between a stored position(as best shown in FIG. 6) and an extended position (as shown in FIG. 4)in which one tube is extended from another such that only the ends ofthe tubes overlap one another. Securing mechanisms 400 secure the tubesin an extended position. The precise arrangement of the securingmechanisms does not form part of the present invention and so will notbe described in any further detail here. Tubes 161, 162, 163 areprogressively longer in length. The length of each tube is chosen sothat it fully occupies the available space within the storage tube 165when the securing mechanisms 400 are lying alongside one another.

The distal end of tube 163 has a connector 280 which is adapted toreceive a floor tool, such as the floor tool shown 20 in FIG. 1, in anyknown manner. For example, the floor tool can be connected to the tube163 by means of an interference fit, interconnecting bayonet fittings,snap-fit connections, a screw threaded collar and sleeve, or by anyother suitable means. Accessory tools may also be fitted to the tube 163in place of the floor tool. A handle 200 is located on the storage tube165 to allow a user to manipulate the wand 160. A flexible hose 150extends from one end of the storage tube 165 and is connected to thestorage tube 165 by an outlet connector 168 which is rotatable aboutaxis X-X', as shown in FIG. 5. This part of the wand is described morefully in our International Patent Application WO 01/50940.

For ease of storage, and ease of carrying, the wand assembly 160 can bereleasably attached to the main body 100 of the vacuum cleaner, as shownin FIGS. 2 and 3.

As is best seen in FIG. 3A, the length of the storage tube 165 issubstantially equal to the length of the part of the main body 100against which the wand is stored. In this manner, the wand 160 does notprotrude substantially beyond the main body 100 when it is fullyretracted and stored on the main body 100.

As is best seen in FIG. 6, the wand 160 is stored alongside theuppermost surface of the main body 100. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectionthrough the wand 160 and the upper part of the separating apparatus 120taken along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum cleaner. In thisembodiment the upper surface of the separating apparatus 120, whichitself is releasable from the remainder of the chassis 110 for emptying,is the part of the main body against which the wand 160 is secured.Fittings on the storage tube 165 of the wand assembly cooperate withcomplementary fittings on the upper surface of the separating apparatus120 to retain the storage tube 165. The lower end of the storage tube165 has a hooked projection 220 which extends outwardly from the tube165. The hook 220 can locate beneath a hook 130 on the separatingapparatus 120. This pair of hooks 220, 130 provides some mechanicalsupport for the wand 160 during carrying, and also helps properly tolocate the wand 160. The majority of the mechanical support is providedby a locking catch at the other end of the storage tube 165. The lockingcatch comprises a movable catch ring 222 with a catch face 225 and isshown in more detail in FIG. 7. The catch face 225 locates beneathanother hook 135 on the upper face of the separating apparatus 120. Thelocking catch mechanism comprises a catch ring 222 which is pivotablymounted about the outside of the storage tube 165 about pivot point 223.The lower part of the catch ring 222 carries a catch face 225 forengaging with the main body. The catch ring is biased, by spring 241,into the locked position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. An actuator member 235is pivotably mounted to the storage tube 165 about pivot point 236. Theactuator member 235 has a part which serves as a button 230 which can beoperated by a user. The actuator member is biased by a spring 242 intothe position in which it lies alongside the tube, as shown in FIGS. 2,3A, 5 and 6. Actuator member 235 has an arm 237 on each of its sides,the end of the arm 237 locating within a notch 238 on the catch ring222. In use, movement of the actuator member 235, by a user pressingbutton 230 in clockwise direction 239, causes arm 237 to urge catch ring222 in an anti-clockwise direction about pivot point 223 to releasecatch 225. Actuator member 235 also has two further locking functionswhich are simultaneously actuated when button 230 is pressed. Firstly,the furthest end of the actuator member has a hook 231 which can engagewith the connector 280 on the end of the tube 163. When all of the tubes161, 162, 163 have been retracted into the storage tube 165, connector280 lies alongside the end of storage tube 165 and hook 231 can hookonto connector 280. All of the tubes 161, 162, 163 are held securelywithin storage tube 165 until the actuator member 235 is operated torelease the hook 231. The leading edge of hook 231 has an inclined facewhich can be displaced by the leading edge of connector 280 as the tubesare retracted inside the storage tube 165. This allows the hook 231automatically to ride onto, and thus retain, the cap 280 as the tubesare moved towards a stored position. Connector 280 has a cap which, inthe stored position (best shown in FIG. 6) accommodates all of thesecuring mechanisms 400 of the tubes and thus serves to protect themfrom damage during storage.

Another feature of the locking mechanism is that projection 232 on theactuator member 235 can seat itself in a depression in the wall of tube161 to lock the position of tube 161. Operating the actuator member 235raises the projection 232 from its seated position and thus allows tube161 to be moved. Tube 161 has a series of similar. depressions 233 alongits length. Projection 232 also serves to secure the tube 161 in adesired extended position with respect to the storage tube 165.

It will be appreciated that operation of the single button 230simultaneously releases the wand 160 from the main body 100 of thevacuum cleaner, releases the end connector 280 which in turn allows thetubes 161, 162, 163 to be withdrawn from the storage tube 165, and lockstube 161 in a selected extended position.

The method of storing the vacuum cleaner will now be described. To storethe wand a user brings the storage tube 165 of the wand assembly, in itsfully retracted state, alongside the uppermost face of the main body 100and engages the hooked projection 220 behind hook 130 on the main body.The user then pivots the storage tube 165 towards the main body so thatthe catch face 225 engages with the hook 135 on the main body. Theinclined shape of the catch face 225 causes the catch ring to move awayfrom the hook 135, against the bias of the spring, as the storage tubeis pushed against the main body, and to reseat itself beneath the hook135. At this point the wand 160 is now fully locked in position on themain body 100 and a user can then use the handle 200 on the storage tube165 of the wand assembly to carry the vacuum cleaner.

A floor tool can be left in place on the end of the wand 160 or it canbe removed and stored elsewhere on the main body 100.

To release the wand 160 from the storage position, a user operates thebutton 230 to move catch ring 222 and catch face 225. This releases thecatch face 225 from the hook 135. The user can then pull the wand 160away from the main body and slide the wand upwards, to remove the hookedprojection 220 from the main body 100.

The position in which a user will naturally feel comfortable graspingthe handle 200 to lift and carry the vacuum cleaner may well bedifferent from the position in which the user will wish to grasp thehandle 200 to operate the wand for cleaning. In this embodiment, thehandle 200 extends for some distance along the length of, and parallelto, the longitudinal axis of the storage tube 165 so as to provide theuser with a plurality of comfortable, longitudinally offset, positionsfor both carrying the vacuum cleaner and operating the wand forcleaning. Portion 205 of the handle, adjacent the end of the storagetube 165, is intended to be used to manipulate the wand during normalcleaning. Portion 205 lies at an angle to the longitudinal axis of thestorage tube. This angled position, together with the position adjacentthe end of the storage tube, has been found to be a comfortable positionfor manipulating the wand. Portion 208 of the handle is intended to beused to carry the cleaner. Control buttons for operating the vacuumcleaner can be provided in region 207. These controls can include anon/off switch, a suction power control etc. as is well known in the art.A bleed valve 209 is also located near to the part of the handle 205which is used during cleaning. The bleed valve admits air when thetrigger 209 is pulled, so as to reduce the suction force at the remoteend of the wand.

The hooked projection 220 on the storage tube 165 and hook 130 on themain body both extend for some distance perpendicularly to thelongitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the storage tube 165. This helps to minimiseany rotational movement, or wobble, of the wand about its longitudinalaxis. While the hooked projection 220 and catch ring 222 adequatelysecure the wand to the main body 100, it is preferred to add somefurther features to the wand 160 and the main body for additionalsecurity. Ribs 250 extend radially outwardly from each side of thestorage tube 165. Ribs 251 also extend outwardly from the upper face ofthe separating apparatus 120 at positions adjacent to where the storagetube 165 will lie when it is secured to the main body. The ribs serve tominimise any rotation of the storage tube 165 about its longitudinalaxis Y-Y′ when the tube is secured to the main body. In short, theyminimise ‘wobble’. A second rib 255 projects outwardly from the storagetube 165, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the storagetube 165. This locates against a similar rib 125 on the main body 100and serves to minimise movement of the storage tube 165 in the directionof the longitudinal axis of the tube 165.

In this embodiment, the separating apparatus 120 comprises twocylindrical chambers which lie alongside one another on the main body100. The hooks 130, 135 are formed on the inlet duct structure whichlies between the chambers. This allows the wand 160 to fit more snuglyagainst the main body and helps to reduce the amount by which the wand160 protrudes beyond the envelope of the main body.

The hose 150 is stored around the main body 100 of the vacuum cleaner.The hose 150 has a length which is sufficient such that, in use, themain body 100 can sit on a floor surface and the user can manipulate thewand 160 at a convenient height, without any excessive drag. In ourembodiment the hose 150 has a length of around 1.5m and a length in therange 1.3-1.8 m is typical. Conveniently, the hose 150 also has a lengthwhich is sufficient to lie once around the perimeter of the main body100. The hose inlet 151 to the main body 100, as well as being centrallylocated for ease of pulling, lies below the position where the hose end168 of the wand 160 will lie when the wand 160 is stored on the mainbody 100. This allows the hose 150 to form one complete perimeter of themain body 100. Hose retaining features 310 on the main body allow thehose 150 to remain attached to the main body 100 during carrying andduring storage.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 a single continuous hosereceiving channel 300 is provided along the sides and back of theperiphery of the chassis 110. FIG. 2 shows the hose 150 in place in thechannel 300 and FIGS. 3A and 3B show the hose removed from the channel300. The precise means by which the hose 150 is stored on the main body100 does not form part of the present invention and alternative hosestorage means will be readily apparent to a skilled reader.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that, when the wand 160is attached to the main body 100, the main body remains supported by itswheels 112, 113 and able to move across the floor surface to be cleaned.This is in contrast to other prior art machines which must be maneouvredinto a position in which their supporting wheels or rollers are liftedaway from the floor surface and the main body is commonly supported on arear surface before the wand can be parked on the main body.

In the previously described embodiment, a single handle 200 is providedwhich serves for both normal cleaning and carrying. In an alternativeembodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a first handle 600 is provided for useduring cleaning and a second, separate, handle 605 is provided forcarrying the vacuum cleaner.

Another alternative is shown in FIG. 10 where a single handle is movablebetween a first position, for use in carrying the machine, and a secondposition for use during normal cleaning operations. The handle ispivotable between the two positions and is positively retained in eachof the positions. This retention of the handle can be by a lockingmechanism which is automatically operated as the handle is moved intothe new position, and which is manually released, such as by a useroperating a trigger, to release the handle from that position.

In another alternative shown in FIG. 11 there is no handle as such formanipulating the wand. Instead, an angled conduit 610 is rigidly(non-rotatably) fixed to the end of tube 165 and this angled conduit 610serves as a part by which the user can manipulate the wand. The angledconduit 610 can be shaped to provide a comfortable gripping surface, orit can be overlaid by a material which makes the conduit morecomfortable to hold. In a still further embodiment, not illustrated, thecarrying handle can be omitted altogether. In this case, the main bodycan be provided with an alternative carrying handle.

In the main embodiment the wand 160 is secured to the main body 100 suchthat a fairly large proportion of the storage tube 165 of the wand sitsabove the remainder of the main body 100. It is possible to increase thesize of the retaining channel 660 for receiving the wand, as shown inFIG. 12. In this alternative embodiment the receiving channel 660 has asufficient depth 661 to fully receive the storage tube 165 of the wand,with only the carry handle 200 protruding above the upper surface of themain body 100.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D. Thevacuum cleaner 500 shown in FIG. 13A to 13D has a main body 510 whichincludes supporting wheels 512, a front castor wheel 514 and separatingapparatus 516. The separating apparatus 516 shown here operates usingcyclonic principles but alternative separating apparatus can be used.Attached to the main body 510 via a connector 518 is a flexible hose 520to which, in turn, is attached a telescopic wand 522 having a handle 524and carrying a plurality of tools 526. The wand 522 is similar to thatdescribed above and is here shown in a filly retracted position andattached to the main body 510 for storage.

The cyclonic separating apparatus 516 includes a collecting bin 528 forcollecting dirt and debris from an airflow passing through the cleaner500. Mounted on the exterior surface of the collecting bin 528 is a slot(not shown) into which a hooked projection (not shown) mounted on thewand can be located. The slot and the hooked projection form retainingmeans for retaining the wand 522 on the collecting bin 528.

As can clearly be seen from FIGS. 13C and 13D, the wand 522 is locatedon an upper surface of the main body 510 but to one side thereof. Theupstream end of the wand 522 is located at the rear of the main body 510on the same side thereof. The hose 520 is connected to the main body 510beneath a central area of the stored wand 522 and passes forwardly ofthe main body 510 away from the upstream end of the wand 522. The hose520 then passes around the main body 510 through approximately one andthree quarters of a turn between the connection 518 and the upstream endof the wand 522.

Unlike the embodiment described above, the hose 520 does not follow afixed path as it is wrapped around the main body 510. Instead, hoseseats (not shown) are provided at the forward end of the collecting bin528 and on the cyclonic separating apparatus 516 behind the handle 530located thereon. Thus, the hose 520 is held in a fixed position withrespect to the main body 510 at a plurality of points along its length.

As can clearly be seen from FIGS. 13A to 13D, the hose 520 can bewrapped around the main body 510 whilst the wheels 512 and castor wheel514 remain in contact with the surface to be cleaned. It is notnecessary to re-orientate the vacuum cleaner 500 into a position inwhich the wheels and/or the castor wheel are lifted away from the floor.By adopting the position shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D, the vacuum cleaner500 is able to be stored compactly and neatly into a small storage area.When the vacuum cleaner 500 is to be used, the hooked projection on thewand 522 is removed from the slot on the collecting bin and the wand 522is then removed from the main body 510. As the wand 522 is moved awayfrom the main body, the hose 520 is unwrapped from around the main bodyuntil it is completely free therefrom. The wand 522 is then extended toa length suitable for cleaning the floor surface on which the vacuumcleaner 500 is positioned.

It will be understood that modifications and variations will be apparentto a skilled reader. For example, the wand may be stored on the mainbody in any direction and the hose may be arranged to wrap around themain body more or less than one and three quarter times.

1. A cleaning appliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body anda hose and wand assembly, the hose and wand assembly comprising atelescopic wand movable between retracted and extended positions and aflexible hose having a first end connected to the main body and a secondend connected to the wand, wherein the wand and the main bodyincorporate a retainer that releasably attaches the wand to the mainbody when the wand is in the retracted state and the hose passes atleast once around the main body.
 2. The cleaning appliance as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the hose passes more than once around the main bodywhen the wand is attached thereto.
 3. The cleaning appliance as claimedin claim 1 or 2, wherein the hose follows a predetermined path aroundthe main body when the wand is attached thereto.
 4. The cleaningappliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the hose is retained in afixed position with respect to the main body at a plurality of pointsalong the length of the hose.
 5. The cleaning appliance as claimed in 1or 2, wherein the main body comprises a cyclonic separator having acollecting bin for collecting dirt and debris and the wand is releasablyattachable to the collecting bin.
 6. A cleaning appliance of thecylinder type comprising a main body and a hose and wand assembly, thehose and wand assembly comprising a telescopic wand movable betweenretracted and extended positions and a flexible hose having a first endconnected to the main body and a second end connected to the wand,wherein the wand and the main body incorporate a retainer thatreleasably attaches the wand to an upper surface of the main body whenthe wand is in the retracted state and the upper surface of the mainbody comprises a channel for receiving the wand.
 7. The cleaningappliance according to claim 6, wherein the retainer is located in thechannel.
 8. The cleaning appliance according to claim 7, wherein themain body comprises two generally cylindrical containers lying next toone another and wherein the channel lies between the cylindricalcontainers.
 9. The cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8,wherein the channel has a sufficient depth to allow the wand to liesubstantially flush with the upper surface of the main body when thewand is received in the channel.
 10. The cleaning appliance as claimedin claim 1, 2 or 6, wherein the wand has a handle by which a user maylift the main body when the wand is attached thereto.
 11. The cleaningappliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the handle may also be used bythe user to manipulate the hose and wand assembly during normal use. 12.The cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the handleextends in a direction which is substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the wand so as to provide a plurality oflongitudinally offset positions for lifting the main body and formanipulating the hose and wand assembly.
 13. The cleaning appliance asclaimed in claim 1, 2 or 6, wherein the wand may be attached to the mainbody when the main body is oriented for normal use.
 14. The cleaningappliance as claimed in claim 13, wherein the main body has wheels orrollers arranged so as to allow the main body to move across a surfaceto be cleaned and the wheels or rollers remain in contact with thesurface when the wand is attached to the main body.
 15. The cleaningappliance as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 6, wherein a substantial part ofthe length of the wand, in the retracted position, lies alongside themain body when the wand is attached thereto.
 16. The cleaning applianceas claimed in claim 15, wherein substantially all of the wand, in theretracted position, lies alongside the main body when the wand isattached thereto.
 17. The cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 1, 2 or6, further comprising a rotation preventer that prevents rotation of thewand when it is attached to the main body.
 18. The cleaning appliance asclaimed in claim 17, wherein the rotation preventer comprises a firstpart, mounted on the main body, and a second part mounted on the wand,each part having a face which extends radially with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the wand.
 19. The cleaning appliance as claimed inclaim 1, 2 or 6, wherein the hose and wand assembly carries a releasemember for releasing the wand from the main body.
 20. The cleaningappliance as claimed in claim 19, wherein the wand comprises a lockconfigured to lock the wand in the retracted position and actuation ofthe release member also releases the lock.
 21. The cleaning appliance asclaimed in claim 1, 2 or 6, wherein the first and second ends of thehose are located adjacent one another when the wand is attached to themain body.
 22. The cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 6,wherein the first and second ends of the hose are circumferentiallyspaced apart from one another when the wand is attached to the mainbody.
 23. The cleaning appliance as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 6, whereinthe cleaning appliance takes the form of a vacuum cleaner. 24.(canceled)